Nuptial flight | When Flying Ants Mate in the Skies

The nuptial flight is seen as the first stage of the ant life cycle. The reproductive, flying alate ants i.e. princesses and drones, take to the skies to mate.

Something in the air, thought to be humidity and temperature, synchronises nation-wide flights. This allows individuals from different nests to mate.

The alates will fly away from their nest to ensure outbreeding.

Once the princesses are ready to mate, they release pheromones to attract drones. They often try to out fly the drones so that only the strongest can mate with them. Mating takes place during the flight.

Princesses usually mate with more than one drone. The sperm is stored in a ‘sperm pocket’ that should last her throughout her lifetime fertilising tens of millions of eggs.

Soon after the flight the drones die and the princess lands in preparation to find a new home.

Glossary

All words found in bold throughout antARK can found in this glossary.

Aletes –

winged reproductive ants.

Asexual –

the ability to reproduce without a sexual partner, off spring will be clones of parents.

Antenna –

used to smell, touch, feel and communicate with other ants. Attached to the front of the head, they can move in-front and behind the ant.

Aspirator –

see ‘Pooter’

Arthropods –

a group of invertebrate animals that includes insects, spiders, crustaceans and their relatives.

Biomass –

a mass of organisms.

Bivouac –

a nest made of entirely of ants, primarily found in the Army ant species.

Brood –

the first born, consisting of eggs, larvae, pupae and ants.

Carnivore –

a meat eating diet, carnivorous ants mostly eat other invertebrates.

Callows –

young immature adult ants, typically paler in colour.

Caste –

the different types of ant in a colony. i.e. queens, drones, soldiers, workers and all in-between.

Colony –

A group of ants, which cooperatively construct nests or rears brood.

Compound eyes –

ants have many small eyes placed next to each other. This enables them to see close movement.

Crop –

holds the ants social food it will share with the colony.

Diurnal –

active during the day time.

Drone –

a reproductive male ant.

Dufour’s gland –

is believed to be involved with the laying of chemicals that guide other ants and perhaps the attraction of mates.

Eclose –

when the ant brood changes through stages of the life cycle.

Entomology –

the study of insects.

Exoskeleton –

An external skeleton, providing rigidity and support for the ant.

Forage –

when a worker ant leaves its nest to find food.

Formicaria –

plural of ‘formicarium’.

Formicarium –

an artificial container designed to house a colony of ants.

Gamergates –

rare female worker ants which can mate and reproduce, keeping the colony alive after the queen dies.

Gastor –

part of the abdomen. It contains vital organs, it is has a telescoping construction of seven segments that gives this large area flexibility.

Genes –

information passed down through generations that determine characteristics of offspring.

Genus –

a grouping of organisms that have common characteristics distinct from those of other such groupings. i.e Lasius sp.

Genera –

plural of genus.

Granaries –

a storage areas where ‘harvester ants’ store their collected seeds.

Granivory –

the process by which harvester ants grind and eat seeds.

Herbivore –

a plant eating diet, see leaf cutter ants.

Homopterans –

plant bugs such as aphids, scale insects and mealy bugs.

Honey dew –

a sweet nutritious sugary substance produced by homopterans eaten by ants.

Hymenoptera –

the Order in which ants occur, the Order also includes bees, wasps and sawflies.

Invertebrate –

an animal without a backbone.

Major worker –

the larger worker ants found in a colonies caste, also known as soldier ants.

Mandibles –

the ants main jaws, these are used for cutting, holding, fighting, and digging. There are smaller mouthparts for chewing food.

Median workers –

worker ants found in polymorphic species that are sized between minor and major workers.

Monodomous –

when a single colony lives in and maintains a single nest.

Monogyn –

Ant species that have one active queen per colony.

Metamorphosis –

the transformation from an immature form to an adult form.

Minor worker –

the smaller worker ants found in a colonies caste.

Minims –

first born ants that tend to be smaller than typical established colony workers. See also ‘nantics’.

Myrmecochory –

a term used to describe seed dispersal by ants.

Myrmecology –

the study of ants.

Myrmecophile –

an invertebrate or plant that has a symbiotic relationship with the ants.

Nantics –

first born ants that tend to be smaller than typical established colony workers. See also ‘minims’.

Nectar –

a sweet nutritious sugary substance produced by homopterans eaten by ants.

Nocturnal –

active at night time.

Nuptial flight –

normally during late spring and summer seasons, the alates take to the skies to mate.